So he had said it. So what? It was what they both were thinking.

What if they never got off the island?

The silence seemed infinitely open and equally unbearable. Jack was still standing but not looking at her. Elizabeth watched Jack. Watched his hands clenching and unclenching, the fingers moving independently. He was nervous. They both were.

"Jack," she started, not really meaning to finish the sentence.

He looked at her in response, pain reflected in his eyes. Not the usual feigned-comical pain which he affected in order to be charming, but it's real counterpart.

"You wanted to know why I'm still decent to you?" he asked, tired of pretending.

Elizabeth looked at him; his face, his mouth, his sad eyes. In that moment she understood. She had known all along, really. He cared for her. Not wanted her, but in some strange way, cared what happened to her.

"Jack…I think I've already guessed that."

When he looked away, her suspicions were confirmed. Her face involuntarily flushed and her breathing sped up. All of a sudden, the intimacy of their surroundings became very apparent.

A moment of silence…then another….

"Forget I said anything."

More silence. Slowly, Elizabeth rose to her feet. Jack seemed frozen in place, watching her as she walked around the fire, closer to him by the minute.

It was like she was watching herself in slow motion. Her feet stopped moving, leaving her less than a yard away. Her heart was pounding in her chest, the pulsing slowly taking over her body. She reached out her hand for his, taking another few steps, closing the distance between them. A feather light touch on the back of his hand with no response from him. She ran her fingers up the forearm and back down, just barely brushing the skin. He shut his eyes. None of his tricks would work now. No smirking, or pretending to be drunk, or making some sort or inappropriate quip. There was nothing for him in this moment except the teasing touch of her soft fingertips.

Her fingers trailed up the arm again, pausing only to grip his forearm. She exhaled slowly, cautiously as she brought her other hand up to rest on his chest. She hesitated a moment before touching the warm skin. He let out his breath, not realizing he'd been holding it.

Jack opened his eyes to find Elizabeth staring at him, her lips parted, her lids starting to close. He felt it then. All his frustrations shooting down, desperately trying to exit his body. She took a step closer, running the one hand down his chest, feeling the muscle under the skin.

She didn't know what she was feeling. She felt like she was on fire, from the inside out. Time had lost all logic, and so had space. The pounding in her chest echoed in a much lower region of her body, and for a moment, she wanted to forget everything save how to fix this horrible ache in her body and soul.

"No."

Jack took hold of her two wrists and gently spoke to her. She opened her mouth to protest, but he cut her off.

"Lizzie…this isn't right."

She turned away, pulling her hands to herself. She was obviously angry, as reflected in her tone of voice.

"I can't…I need….I don't understand…"

"Don't you think this is hard for me?"

She spoke, anger in her face.

"Hard for you? Will is gone! And I'm here with you! The last place on earth I'd ever want to be! And now here I am asking…no, begging…a filthy pirate…", she started to hit him. Not hard or serious, but the actions of a frustrated woman.

"Hey!", he started, trying to duck away. He would not hit a woman. Unless she was a pirate, which technically Elizabeth was. No matter. Grabbing her arms, and forcing them in front of her he backed her against the wall of the cave. She let out a sharp cry, obviously surprised as the rock bit into her back. She shoved her weight against him, unsuccessfully, then Jack pulled her to him, whispering in her ear, almost violently.

"If you think I don't want you, you're wrong."

She moved against him again, trying to force him away again. He only gripped her more tightly.

"You're wrong, Elizabeth. If you'd have been anyone else right now your blouse would be over your head."

She made a noise in the back of her throat.

"But you're not, and if we were to do this you would regret it."

"I-"

He shook her, silencing her.

"You would regret it. Because it's me and not Will. And it's him you want."

"No-," she started, but gasped as he pushed her and the rock bit harder into her back.

"Yes. You're not using your head, that pretty thing between your shoulders at the moment."

She started to respond angrily, but thought the better of it. He was right. Satisfied that she was calming down, he slowly eased his grasp on her.

"Don't ever think I don't want you because I do."

She looked at him in disbelief as he continued.

"And don't tease me, because I might not be able to stop."

Her cheeks flushed again.

"But I've never taken a woman against her will, and for now, although maybe not against your will, it would definitely be against your better judgment."

Her eyes darted quickly away.

"And you don't want me. You just want to not feel the tension. I know because so do I. But not like this."

She pulled her arms, a signal for him to let go. He loosed his grip on her and backed up, so she could move forward. She felt much calmer and more in control of her emotions. She had never seen him so serious. Usually everything was all fun and games; nothing but lightheartedness and witty banter. She was quite surprised actually. Pleasantly surprised, but she still needed to explain something.

"Now it's my turn," she started.

He moved back farther, to the other side of the cave taking one last look outside at the rain.

"I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to kiss you that day. There were so many other ways to…," her voice trailed off uncomfortably.

"Regardless, I do love Will. I mean, I did." She thought about this for a moment, deciding.

"No, I still do. He's gone but I still do. But Jack, when you and I are together it is completely different. I must admit I've often found myself…curious…"

He looked at her, and she continued to speak.

"Now that we are…well…so very alone here, I'm assuming I'll have a lot of time to think about…"

"I know."

Her throat was suddenly dry, and she reached her tongue out to wet her lips. She hadn't meant it to be anything other than necessity, but Jack's eyes were instantly drawn to her lips. His eyes narrowed as he walked slowly towards her, closing the distance between them in a matter of seconds.